


Three Truths and a Lie

by Marks



Category: The Flash (TV 2014)
Genre: AU: Video Store, Halloween movies, M/M, yes this is set in the present
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2016-10-27
Updated: 2016-10-27
Packaged: 2018-08-27 06:31:32
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 804
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/8390869
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Marks/pseuds/Marks
Summary: Graveyard shift at a video store is pretty easy money in 2016, and sometimes hot people come in.





	

**Author's Note:**

> I'm a total wimp, so much so that when I saw the prompt "Halloween movies," I didn't think about Halloween or Scream or even The Nightmare Before Christmas; I thought Hocus Pocus. So that's what we're dealing with here.
> 
> Written for [Hartmon Holidays](http://hartmonholidays.tumblr.com)' The 13 Days of Hartmon. This prompt was from a few days ago!

There were worse things than working graveyard shift at a video store. Cisco had a full ride to college on a STEM scholarship, but this way he didn't have to hit his parents up for spending money. His boss was kind of a weirdo — one of those film buffs who overanalyzed everything — but he didn't care if Cisco goofed off during his shifts and the store was nearly always empty anyway. Cisco guessed the guy owned the store outright because how else could a video store stay open in the age of streaming?

Around midnight, two guys came in, holding hands. One was a lanky hipster with too much facial hair who was honest-to-god wearing a boater hat, and the other was what Cisco's friend Caitlin called nerd cute. Short, though taller than Cisco (nearly everyone was), glasses, neatly combed hair, and an outfit that probably cost more than Cisco's entire wardrobe. Which wasn't that difficult, honestly, given that about 80% of his wardrobe consisted solely of geeky t-shirts. The cute nerd glanced over at Cisco at the register, and gave him an up-down flick of the eyes that might have been flirtatious and might have been dismissive. You'd think those two couldn't be confused, but you'd be wrong. The guys murmured to each other for a second and then separated.

Boater Hat headed toward the back of the store, while Cute Nerd walked over to Cisco and leaned against the counter.

"I'm in way over my head here," Cute Nerd said by way of hello. Cisco wondered if this was some desperate cry for help and he should call the police. But no: "You know how everyone lies on their Grindr profiles?"

Cisco thought that was pretty presumptuous of Cute Nerd. Of course, it was also pretty perceptive of Cute Nerd, since of course Cisco _did_ have a Grindr profile. Also, his Grindr profile was basically one big game of three truths and a lie. For instance, while Cisco could absolutely school anyone in Harry Potter trivia, was bi, and liked engineering more than was socially acceptable, he also was in no way 5'9". So he just nodded.

"Well, that guy over there is under the impression that I'm some sort of horror aficionado and that's kind of sort of entirely my fault. He said he was really looking to expand his horror genre repertoire with little known and interesting examples, but here's the thing: I'm a total wimp about horror movies. Can't tolerate even a little bit of gore. So, basically can you recommend anything obscure that will get me laid, but won't give me nightmares for a month?"

Cisco laughed. He knew it was a little bit mean, but he couldn't help it. "Sorry, dude. I'm not a horror guy, either. I mean, after I saw The Ring, I couldn't watch television for a month and I love television." He gestured to his phone sitting next to the cash register, where Netflix was paused mid-episode of Chopped. "My older brother wanted to watch Friday the 13th and Nightmare on Elm Street every Halloween, and I just wanted to watch Hocus Pocus."

Cute Nerd's eyes lit up. "I love Hocus Pocus."

"Who doesn't?" Cisco said enthusiastically. "Witches, weird makeup, Bette Midler. What's not to like?"

"Hartley?" called Boater Hat from the back shelves. "Can you come over and help me out with some sick recs?"

Cute Nerd — Hartley — rolled his eyes. "In a minute!"

Cisco raised his eyebrows. "If you ask me, you don't need to get laid that badly."

"Oh, but that's where you're wrong. Physicists who spend three-fourths of their day studying and in the lab aren't really drowning in opportunity." Hartley sighed. "But maybe not quite that badly."

"You're a physicist?" Cisco asked. So the nerd thing wasn't just an aesthetic choice. Nice. "I'm studying mechanical engineering. Always love meeting a fellow science nerd."

Hartley gave Cisco the same up-down look he had when he'd come into the store. Definitely flirtatious then; Cisco tucked his hair behind his ears and ducked his head. Then Hartley leaned over Cisco's counter and grabbed Cisco's phone. He typed his name and number into Cisco's contacts, then handed the phone back. "Text me when you get out of here, and I'll try to let this guy down gently. Nice meeting you..."

"Cisco. Cisco Ramon."

"Nice meeting you, Cisco," Hartley said and headed over to Boater Hat, Cisco supposed to start letting him down gently. Cisco watched Hartley go, and of course he was the very definition of hate to see you go, love to watch you leave. Hartley wasn't the only one who hadn't been drowning in opportunity.

There were worse things than working graveyard at a video store, but right now, waiting for his shift to end made that hard to remember.


End file.
